Apple iTV to hit later this year – will it be OLED based?

It looks as if Apple iTV is going to hit retail later this year. We can expect huge demand for the new Apple product, with huge queues already expected outside the retail stores. Steve Jobs said in his biography, telling author Walter Issacson “I'd like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use. It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and … will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.” This could very well be Steve Jobs final product design, just before his death.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said that his research has detailed that Apple have been in discussions with TV component suppliers. He said it is likely to land ‘later this year'.

The new iTV range could be a big player for Apple in the coming years, especially if it is as good as many analysts expect. Faster Trader Jon Najarian said that it will be ‘the piece de resistance – the gadget that integrates all others.'

Munster confirmed “It’s a new area that I think investors are going to be excited about. This could be something that really moves the needle for Apple.”

Although not confirmed, latest reports would highlight that there will be two versions – a 32 inch and a 37 inch screen size. A completely different concept to the current, console shaped Apple TV product, which hasn't been that widely received by the general public.

I have heard directly from some sources in Taipei who work in the industry that Apple want the designs to be based around OLED panel technology. An OLED display works without a backlight. Thus, it can display deep black levels and can be thinner and lighter than a liquid crystal display (LCD). In low ambient light conditions such as a dark room an OLED screen can achieve a higher contrast ratio than an LCD, whether the LCD uses cold cathode fluorescent lamps or the more recently developed LED backlight. Due to its low thermal conductivity, an OLED typically emits less light per area than an inorganic LED.

Kitguru says: Interested in a new TV? does this get you excited? We think for many enthusiast users that a maximum size of 37 inches might be a little small.

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